Pina Colada's

If you like pina colada's and getting caught in the rain...

Pina Colada's

1 can of cream of coconut

1 fresh pineapple - canned is OK too. Probably close to 4 cans

ice to your desired consistency

Enjoy!

Ruth's Sweet Potato Casserole

My sweet mother shared this recipe with me and today I finally made it. Yum it was! If you like sweet potatoes, then you'll love this. If you don't - well, you won't. It's super sweet like a dessert and I'm excited to have it at Thanksgiving time. It's like comfort to me. Plus, the house smells yummy.

This recipe is posted on the Ruth's Chris Steak House Recipe Page. The card they shared has teensy writing so here it is in a more visible format.

Ruth's Sweet Potato Casserole

Makes 4 Servings
Crust Mixture:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup chopped nuts (pecans preferred)
1/4 cup melted butter

Sweet Potato Mixture:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 egg, well beaten
1/4 cup butter

Process:
1. Combine Crust Mixture in mixing bowl and put to one side.
2. Combine Sweet Potato Mixture ingredients in a mixing bowl in the order listed. Combine thoroughly.
3. Pour Sweet Potato Mixture into buttered baking dish.
4. Sprinkle Crust Mixture evenly onto surface of Sweet Potato Mixture.
5. Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Allow to set for at least 30 minutes before serving.


(Heather's sidenote: I just peeled, chopped, and boiled the sweet potatoes. I mashed by hand and it turned out great. I used 3 medium potatoes and it made more than 2 cups but I just used it all and it was still PLENTY sweet. I may cut the sugar a little next time.)

Sesame Chicken

This is a yummy, easy recipe that can be made a few hours ahead of time (so it can marinate). There isn't much sauce to put over the rice, but we really enjoyed it especially with steamed broccoli. I got this recipe from my friend Rachael).

SESAME CHICKEN {Rachael Howell}

2-4 chicken breasts, cubed
1/4 c. sesame seeds
1/4 c. soy sauce
3 T. oil
2 T. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp. ginger

Mix everything together in Ziploc bag and marinate 1-4 hours. Pour onto a cookie sheet (lined with foil for easier clean up) and broil for 10 minutes. Turn and broil 5 minutes more. Serve over rice with steamed broccoli.

Texas Roadhouse Copycat Rolls

I know there are a million roll recipes out there. But here's yet another you can try.

Last night we enjoyed some fine rolls at Texas Roadhouse. We watched the woman roll them out in a rectangle about 3/4 inch - 1 inch thick. Then she cut with a pizza cutter into 2 inch squares. She placed them on the cookie sheet so that once they expanded, they wouldn't touch. I'd never thought of shaping rolls that way so I wanted to give it a try.

I searched the web for a copycat recipe and found several. This one seemed to be the most popular amongst all the websites. Here's one source.

Now - don't ask me why the flour is measured in quarts. One gal said she adds 4 cups and then adds what's necessary. I added about 6+ but wished my dough was a little thicker/sturdier so next time I'll probably add the 8 cups.

Anyhoo... give this one a try. We really enjoyed them. Oh - also... I added 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup sugar. It worked swell. I think you could use all honey for the sugar.

Enjoy!

From the trainer for all the bakers of the Texas Roadhouse chain (so they say)


Texas Roadhouse Rolls


1 pkg. active dry yeast = 1 Tblsp Active Dry Yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups milk- scalded and cooled to lukewarm
3 tablespoons of melted butter - cooled
1/2 cup sugar
2 quart all purpose flour (7-8 cups)
2 whole eggs
2 tsp. salt


Soften yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar.


Add yeast, milk, sugar and enough flour (like 2-3 cups) to make a medium batter. Beat thoroughly. Let stand until light and foamy.


Add melted butter, eggs and salt. Beat well. Add enough flour to form soft dough . Sprinkle small amount of flour on counter and let dough rest.


Meanwhile, clean and dry bowl; grease clean surface of bow. Knead dough until smooth and satiny. Put in greased bowl; turn over to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm place until double in bulk.


Punch down. Turn out on floured board. Divide into portions for shaping; let rest 10 minutes.


Shape dough into desired forms. Place on greased baking sheets. Let rise until doubled.


Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes (until golden brown). Baste immediately with butter


Yield: 5 to 6 dozen (depending on the size - I made mine kind of big and got about 3 dozen)

Whole Wheat Honey Oat Bread

I have to give credit to this blog for this delicious recipe. I made this today and Seth and I ate a whole loaf! It was so moist but not soggy, with yummy crispy edges that weren't too crumbly. We made tomato pesto mozzarella sandwiches on it for dinner, and it hit the spot!

2 cups low-fat milk
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, plus more for topping
1/2 cup warm water (105-115° F)
2 tablespoons active dry yeast (about three packages)
1/2 cup mild honey (I used less than 1/2 cup, and it still turned out great!)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 cups whole-wheat flour*
About 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour*
1 tablespoons Kosher salt
Canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

*the original recipe called for 3 cups whole wheat, 2 cups white flour, but I was feeling particularly daring! I also added in 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten for good measure.

1. Heat milk in a small saucepan over low heat until hot but not boiling. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the oats. Let stand, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooled to warm.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of honey. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If the mixture doesn’t foam, you’ll have to discard it and start over with new yeast.) Stir the yeast mixture, melted butter, and remaining honey into the cooled oatmeal.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, 1/2 cup unbleached flour, and salt. Add the oat mixture, mixing slowly until a soft dough forms. Turn up the mixer and mix the dough, until the dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 8-10 minutes (the dough will be slightly sticky). While you’re kneading, add just enough unbleached flour to keep the dough from sticking to the sides.

4. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a large, oiled mixing bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 60 to 90 minutes.

5. Lightly butter two loaf pans. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times to remove air. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a loaf. Place each loaf in a buttered pan, seam side down, tucking ends gently to fit. Cover the loaf pans loosely with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rise at a warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes.

6. Put the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly brush the tops of each loaf with some of the egg wash and sprinkle with oats. Bake the loaves until they are golden and they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 25-30 minutes. (Remove 1 loaf from pan to test for doneness. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen.)

7. Try not to burn your tongue, you'll want some right away with softened butter on it, YUM!